off.have a good day. >> you know i will. right now on "america this morning," all-time high. the urgent warning from doctors as the u.s. sees the highest number of pandemic-related hospitalizations ever. all 50 states seeing cases on the rise from lockdowns to quarantines, the new restrictions now in place and new hope for a vaccine as we find out where the first shipment is heading. clinging to control. >> there will be a smooth transition to a second trump administration. >> the new push from the trump administration to move ahead with plans for the next year despite losing the election. plus, a legal setback for the trump campaign, and this morning, the purge at the pentagon. the top officials on their way out. doorbell dangers. the sweeping recall of a popular

security camera due to a fire hazard. plus, britney's battle. ♪ toxic >> the new court ruling in the pop star's fight to break free from her father. hornets hatching. the new discovery inside a nest of murder hornets. why experts are worried more queens on the loose. and good grief, the decorating disappointment that has one city facing a charlie brown christmas. good wednesday morning, everyone, on this veterans day. i'm kenneth moton. >> i'm erielle reshef. mona is off today. we're following developments in two major stories this morning. the coronavirus pandemic and the growing uncertainty in washington. >> we learned overnight that nearly 62,000 people are in the hospital with covid-19 right now. that's more people in the hospital than at any other time since this pandemic began. meanwhile in washington,

more top officials at the pentagon have resigned, and the white house remains defiant refusing to accept the election results and even reportedly planning for a second term. but we begin with concerns that the coronavirus emergency may be spiraling out of control. this morning, icus across the country say they're crippled by a crush of pandemic as hospitalizations hit an all-time high. >> we need heap. we're short nurses. >> reporter: new data revealing 40% more people are hospitalized with covid than just two weeks ago. >> they're absolutely just overwhelmed. it's been insane. it's been -- this is what we were fearing. >> reporter: massachusetts is now preparing field hospitals. california is rolling back re-openings. and vermont is requiring all travelers to quarantine even if they test negative. despite new efforts to control the spread, the u.s. on tuesday saw its highest number of daily cases ever with more than 130,000. all 50 states are now reporting infections on the rise. texas now seeing nearly 11,000

new cases per day. >> there are 154 bodies in there and out here, so in two weeks you're going to have ten more trucks filled and you're going to need more. >> if we have the same trajectory. if we don't stop the increase. >> reporter: wisconsin saw positivity rates tick past po%. doctors saying new cases have quadrupleed and patients are sicker than ever. >> we're having to employ more advanced therapies for people on ventilators. >> reporter: major sports programs are also feeling the effects of the latest surge. texas a&m and auburn football teams are reporting dozens of new cases derailing the season. on the front lines workers are fearing the worst as we hit the height of flu season. >> i don't know. are we going to have enough rooms? are we going to have enough vents? i don't know. >> reporter: but white house officials say help is on the horizon. >> i would say by april you'll be able to be vaccinated. >> reporter: the government says it's ready to distribute 20 million doses as soon as it's

approved. vandenberg air force base will be one of the first to receive the trial vaccine. >> we'll start with health care workers. we're looking at folks that manage critical infrastructure. >> reporter: the base could receive up to 10,000 doses with shipments arriving in the next month. dr. fauci says high-risk people could begin getting the vaccine next month if it's approved. now to washington and the white house remaining defiant refusing to acknowledge the results of the election. and overnight we've learned of new steps the white house is now taking. abc's alex presha has the latest from wilmington, delaware, headquarters of the biden transition team. good morning, alex. >> reporter: erielle, good morning. so some democrats are accusing president trump of preventing a peaceful transfer of power as the white house reportedly makes preparations for another year of the trump administration. this morning, another sign of president trump's refusal to accept the results of last week's election. "the washington post" reports the white house budget office is now telling federal agencies to move forward with their budget proposals for the next fiscal year.

those proposals would typically be issued next february. weeks after president-elect joe biden is set to be sworn in. and now secretary of state mike pompeo is brushing off criticism after making this comment when asked about preparing for a smooth transition. >> there will be a smooth transition to a second trump administration. >> reporter: president trump retweeting that video with the caption, that's why mike was number one in his class at west point. but during a new interview, pompeo declined to say whether he was being serious. >> we're reminding everyone that all the votes haven't been counted. we need to make sure the legal process is fully complied with. i am very confident that we will have a good transition, that we will make sure whoever is in office on january 20th has all the tools readily available so we don't skip a beat. >> reporter: it comes as new details emerge about one legal battle the president is waging. overnight pennsylvania revealing that about 10,000 mail-in ballots were received during the three-day grace period after

polls closed. those late ballots and whether they're valid are at the center of a trump campaign lawsuit, but the latest statewide tally shows joe biden maintaining a 47,000-vote lead in pennsylvania, far more than the contested 10,000 ballots. still only a handful of republican lawmakers have acknowledged biden as the president-elect. >> have you congratulated vice president biden yet? >> no. >> why not? >> reporter: democrats accuse republicans of going along with the president's extended fight out of fear of losing control of the senate in january. that's when georgia voters will head to the polls again for two runoff elections triggered after the senate candidates there were unable to win a majority in their elections last week. if the two democrats win the party gains control of the senate. majority whip john thune tells politico that republicans need the president's votes. adding, while trump determines the outcome of his own election senate republicans want him to help in georgia afterwards.

biden tuesday slammed trump for not conceding. >> i just think it's an embarrassment, quite frankly. >> reporter: and this post from 2016 now resurfacing showing then vice president biden welcoming mike pence to the white house to offer our support for a smooth, seamless transition of power. sources tell abc news that aides have approached president trump about coming to terms with losing the election, but they don't expect him to publicly admit that he lost fairly. instead they predict that he will try to sow division between his supporters and president-elect biden. erielle. >> alex, thank you. the post-election shake-up at the pentagon has claimed the jobs of three more top officials. they submitted resignation letters one day after mark esper was fired by president trump. anthony tata has taken over as top policy chief, a retired army general and fox news analyst whose nomination to the same job was pulled earlier this year because of offensive tweets he sent about islam. supporters of obamacare are

feeling hopeful after arguments at the supreme court over a challenge to the law. conservatives brett kavanaugh and chief justice john roberts questioned whether no individual mandate penalty means the affordable care act should be repealed. the chief just cyst seemed to indicate the court should stay out of the fight. >> it's hard for you to argue that congress intended the entire act to fall if the mandate were struck down when the same congress did not even try to repeal the rest of the act. i think, frankly, that they wanted the court to do that, but that's not our job. >> 18 states want the law repealed. a rule something expected in june. a former louisville police officer charged in the breonna taylor case is now accused of sexual assault in a new lawsuit. a woman claims former officer brett hankison assaulted her while leaving a bar in 2018. hankison was one of three officers who fired a weapon the new breonna taylor died in march. he's charged with wanton endangerment.

time now for a look at your wednesday weather. things should be calmer today in oregon after a rare tornado northwest of portland damaged several buildings. no one was hurt. meanwhile, in minnesota some areas have declared snow emergencies. the state's highway patrol reported more than 100 crashes tuesday. looking at the radar, no severe weather in the upper midwest today, but plenty of rain from the gulf coast up to new england today. temperatures on this veterans day in the northeast will remain above normal. but chilly readings from the great lakes to the pacific northwest. 71 in phoenix. coming up, an important recall affecting people with ring video doorbells. the warning about a fire hazard. but first the shocking moment two kayakers say they were nearly swallowed by a whale. and later, britney spears loses a

back now with a whale of a surprise there for two kayakers in california. two women say they were caught in this whale's mouth as it tried to swallow some bait fish nearby. fortunately it spat them out. they didn't taste good. they were able to get back onto the kayak. both are okay, but get this, one woman says she lost her keys. >> that was it? >> yes. >> pretty lucky. new details about the nest of murder hornets found in washington state. the insects can be deadly to humans and now we're learning just how many have been found. abc's megan tevrizian has more. >> reporter: this morning, wildlife officials are on the hunt for new nests after finding dozens of dangerous murder hornet queens. >> yes, we do believe there are

other nests. >> reporter: experts are dissecting the first known asian giant hornet nest in the u.s. after finding it in washington state near the canadian border last month. splitting the removed tree open to inspect the nest inside, scientists found the 14-inch nest contained 500 live specimens including 76 hatched virgin queens. each one capable of leaving to mate and start their own colony and experts say some of the queens had already taken flight. >> when you see albeit a relatively small nest like this able to pump out 200 queens, it does give one a little bit of pause because potentially each of those queens could be a new nest next year. >> reporter: the two are equipped with a stinger long enough to pierce through a bekeeping suit and are known to destroy honeybee colonies within a few hours. their invasion could be catastrophic to other insects that help keep plants alive through pollination.

luckily they believe that any potential queens from this nest hatched after they found it so the number of hornets that may have escaped is small. >> the hornets are capable of reusing cells and so it is in theory possible more queens were produced earlier in the year but it's not likely. >> the venom of an asian giant hornet can be deadly to humans blamed for killing dozens in japan every year. kenneth, erielle. >> all right, megan, thank you. and important recall for people who own ring video doorbells. the company is recalling 350,000 devices because some doorbells ignited and overheated and caused property damage. the problem is caused by incorrect screws being used for installation. the recall affects ring's second generation doorbell. coming up, how kids are falling behind during the pandemic. the new study all parents should hear. also, a big change behind bars for actress lori loughlin. these are real people, not actors, who've got their eczema under control.

with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. if your financial situation has changed, dcoughing's not new.. this woman coughs... and that guy does, too.

people cough in the country, at sea, and downtown. but don't worry, julie... robitussin shuts coughs down. a nivea breathable experiment. now they do. moisturizes deeply with no sticky feel. the game changing nivea breathable. than rheumatoid arthritis. when considering another treatment, ask about xeljanz... a pill for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis when methotrexate has not helped enough. xeljanz can help relieve joint pain and swelling, stiffness, and helps stop further joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections. before and during treatment, your doctor should check for infections, like tb and do blood tests. tell your doctor if you've had hepatitis b or c, have flu-like symptoms, or are prone to infections. serious, sometimes fatal infections,

cancers including lymphoma, and blood clots have happened. taking a higher than recommended dose of xeljanz for ra may increase risk of death. tears in the stomach or intestines and serious allergic reactions have happened. don't let another morning go by without asking your doctor about the pill first prescribed for ra more than seven years ago. xeljanz. ♪ i'm addicted to you but your love is toxic ♪ a new development in britney spears' battle for independence. a judges tuesday unheld her father's role in overseeing her finances. the pop star wanted her father removed from the role. but the judge appointed a financial company to help oversee britney's estate. new details about actress lori loughlin's life behind bars. she's now serving two months in a california prison for her role in the college admissions scandal, and like all incoming inmates, she's been in isolation for 14 days due to the

coronavirus precautions, but she's now expected to be moved into the general population at the end of the week. she's due to be released december 27th, but she could be home in time for christmas. the bureau of prisons has a policy, not a celebrity policy, if your release date falls on a weekend, to release you on the last day of the week prior to that weekend, and in this case, that last day would be friday, december 25th, which is a federal holiday, so she may actually get to go home on that thursday, christmas eve. >> meanwhile, reports of a post-prison comeback could be in the works. loughlin's character on her former show has been mentioned in recent episodes leading to speculation that she might return. the pandemic is taking an even bigger toll on kids than we thought. that's the finding of a new study. earlier i spoke with dr. imran ali. we also discussed the new coronavirus vaccine. dr. ali, there's been a lot of talk in the last 24 hours or so

about pfizer's covid vaccine. dr. anthony fauci says we could all get vaccinated by april, but what concerns do you have about the distribution of the vaccine? we've heard it has to be kept in below zero temperatures. >> so, yes, kenneth, this vaccine has to be kept at very cold temperatures. we're talking about negative 94 degrees fahrenheit, so we really need some deep freezers which can keep these vaccines protected so they stay potent. the question is, though, will the average pharmacy have these freezers to store visa vaccines, so there will be a phased approach to distribute the vaccine. still a lot of questions are remaining, because you need two doses, remember, kenneth, 28 days apart. how can we keep track of people to make sure that they do get the second dose right at the right time? so it's still a big logistical, you know, feat. but we do have the best minds working on it right now. >> let's talk about that big concern for parents. a new study finds kids are regressing during the pandemic with some falling back in basic

education and social skills. but also when it comes to skills like potty training. what are your thoughts on this? >> children who have a lack of socialization and also just the general anxiety can cause a psychological regression where children forget basic skills. we're also seeing this in older adults. senior centers are closed. people are more isolated. >> and, dr. ali, everyone wants to know how to stay safe from this virus, and now we have a new study that looked at cell phone daitsdz. it found the top three places outside the home where you're most likely to be infected with the virus. what are the takeaways from this report? >> the basic takeaway from this study is the more densely packed an area is, the more higher your risk of getting infected. >> our thanks to dr. ali. coming up, the best golf shot you've probably ever seen. also ahead, a christmas tree that only charlie brown would be proud of. >> oh, sad spruce.

hi jen! hi. so you're the scientist here. does my aveeno® daily moisturizer really make my dry skin healthier in one day? it's true jen. really?! this prebiotic oat formula moisturizes to help prevent dry skin. impressive! aveeno® healthy. it's our nature. it's still warm. ♪ thanks, alice says hi. for some of us, our daily journey is a short one.

save 50% when you pay per mile with allstate. pay less, when you drive less. you've never been in better hands. allstate. click or call for a quote today. hd 8. he uses fresh, clean ingredients to make a masterpiece. taste our delicious new flatbread pizzas today. panera. hd 8. introducing voltaren arthritis pain gel. the first full prescription strength non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel... available over the counter. voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. voltaren. the joy of movement.

♪ time to check "the pulse." we begin with a truly stunning golf shot. >> it came from jon rahm during a warm-up round ahead of the masters. check this out. on purpose he skipped the ball off the surface of a water hazard and anto the green. there it goes. >> yep, okay, so we sped up the video. it didn't go that fast. we promise. watch this. >> no way. >> yep. right into the hole. rahm hit another hole in one monday. among the favorites to win the masters which starts for real tomorrow. >> you know what we say to that. >> no. >> holy moly. >> oh. today is veterans day, beginning today the men and women who served our country will have free lifetime access

to our national parks. >> it applies to 2,000 locations including national parks and other federal land. >> and today only the park service is waving entry fees for everyone who visits. >> nice. next an idea that's catching on at movie theaters. we told you recently that amc is renting out some theaters to private groups in hopes of making some extra money. well, the idea apparently has become so popular, the company is now expanding it nationwide. >> a four-week trial got more than 110,000 requests. finally one city's christmas tree that has everyone saying, good grief. >> the 65-foot norway spruce was put up in cincinnati, check it out. and pictures quickly spread online. you can see why, showing a raggedy and sad tree. >> some say it's the perfect tree for 2020. others compare it to charlie brown's tree. >> i'll take this little tree home and decorate, and i'll show them. it will really work in our play. >> oh, charlie brown. but don't worry the tree in cincinnati is looking better because of some rope. >> some are selling these t-shirts of the trees.

maybe it needs a little sprucing up. >> we'll check the top headlines next. you're affected by schizophrenia, you see it differently. it's in the small, everyday moments. and in the places, you'd never expect. a little sign of hope. the feeling of freedom. and once these little moments start adding up, that's when it feels like so much more. it feels like real progress. caplyta effectively treats adults with schizophrenia. and it's just one pill, once a day, with no titration. caplyta can cause serious side effects. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles or confusion, which can mean a life-threatening reaction or uncontrollable muscle movements which may be permanent. dizziness upon standing, falls, and impaired judgment may occur. most common side effects include sleepiness and dry mouth. high cholesterol and weight gain may occur, as can high blood sugar which may be fatal. in clinical trials, weight, cholesterol and blood sugar changes were similar to placebo. so if you're affected by schizophrenia, ask your doctor about caplyta

from intra-cellular therapies. it's time for theraflu hot liquid medicine. powerful relief so you can restore and recover. theraflu hot beats cold. - [kim hussey] this is my husband alex hussey. alex was about two weeks away from coming home. - [alex] and i stepped on the bomb. lost my legs and my left hand in the explosion. - [announcer] as american's veterans face challenges, dav is there. with the right support, more veterans can reach victories, great and small. dav helps veterans and their families get the benefits they've earned. - [kim] look at that smile, you did it. - [announcer] support more victories for veterans, go to dav.org. plus have high blood pressure. they may not be able to take just anything for pain. that's why doctors recommend tylenol®. it won't raise blood pressure the way that advil® aleve or motrin® sometimes can.

for trusted relief, trust tylenol®.

not because i didn't want it. i worried it was too expensive, and i was having a hard time paying our other bills. but now, for the first time in our lives, i can do both.

covered california was made by californians for californians. and it makes health insurance more affordable, with financial help for people who need it. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 15th. covered california. this way to health insurance. look, let's not kid ourselves, this holiday is gonna feel different. but after the year we just had, what if less gives us more? time with loved ones. help for you, and the planet. or simply a chance to kick back and relax, recharge, and refill. only you know what you need this holiday. and whatever it is, we can probably help. we certainly know that

thanksgiving this year is going to look different than thanksgiving last year. >> now at 5:00, reopening roll backs right before the holidays. a surge in covid-19 cases means we'll be seeing changes in three counties in the coming days. a doctor explains the high-risk situations. the supreme court likely to uphold the affordable care act. what even conservative justices are saying about the case. i just think it's an embarrassment. >> turmoil over the next steps at the white house. secretary of state mike pompeo's reaction when asked about a smooth transition. good morning, it's wednesday, november 11th. it's veterans day. we say thank you to all who served our country. >> we certainly do. let's serve them up a good forecast. >> we'll try to. we have a little bit of mist out there this morning and some cloudiness, but it's not cold as it has been. temperatures running in the 40s and 50s. here's a look at